ambershelf's reviews
1295 reviews

When Pirbhai, an impoverished teenage boy in India, finally finds work, he doesn't realize he's on a boat to Africa to complete the East African Railway for the British. To ensure survival, Pirbhai commits an act of violence with fire that haunts him across generations.

At the turn of the 20th century, as Uganda seeks independence from British colonial rule, Pirbahi and his family are met with increasing hostility toward "non-Africans." All hell breaks lose in 1972 when South Asian expulsion is implemented, and the family has no choice but to leave their home behind.

An unforgettable historical fiction, BURNING is a multigenerational tale of the Indian migrants who built the Kenya-Uganda railway. An estimated 30 thousand Indians arrived in the late 1890s to help build the railway, and 2500 perished during the process. With beautiful writing and profound prose, Oza takes the readers through a journey of loss and love, chaos and peace, fear and courage.

I particularly adore Oza's writing and how it pulls at my heartstrings. Her style reminds me of ALL THIS COULD BE DIFFERENT (Sarah Thankam Mathews), with introspective tones that resonate with me deeply.

I also appreciate how flawed each character is in BURNING. And while I might disagree with some characters' decisions in the story, Oza paints a profoundly compassionate picture of what we do when our family is splintered & how we survive unimaginable losses.

Pirbhai's cursed action starts with a fire; fire is the evil that wreaks havoc, but it can be so much more than loss. Fire is the strength to protect our heritage and family. Fire is the courage to face our past mistakes and mend our wrongs. Fire is the love that lives on through the memory of those lost in time. Fire is the bravery to break our silence and fight for a better future.

Congratulations to Janika Oza for this astonishing debut. I'm so excited to see her future work. Thank you to Grand Central for the gifted copy.

After receiving anonymous transphobic messages, Felix comes up with a plan for revenge that accidentally turns into a love triangle. Can he discover the culprit, find love, and accept himself?

I adore the focus on how transitioning is a continuous process and the message to trans kids that they should take as much time & space to figure out their identity as possible. You deserve to exist, to be loved, and to pursue love.

After coming out as nonbinary to their parents, Ben is kicked out and forced to live with their estranged sister. With a new living arrangement and school, Ben is determined to survive their senior year unnoticed. Can they stick to their plan even as a newfound friendship grows into something more?

I love the found family plot and how supportive Ben's friends are. BEST is an excellent example of finding a community, even if that's not from one's parents.

When Avery moves from DC to Georgia for her aging grandma, she's determined to uncover the family secret that contributes to her mom & grandma's tension. While searching for the truth, friendships grow unexpectedly. Should Avery topple the delicate relationships to dig up the past?

With compassion & nuance, MONUMENTS examines how racial violence passes through generations. I love the depth of the story that explores family secrets & trauma and how we can move forward from past violence to heal our family.

Hi'i is the youngest of the legendary Naupaka dynasty, the only daughter of Laka, and the granddaughter of Hulali. She dreams of becoming the next Miss Aloha Hula to prove her worth in the family and heal the rifts between her mom and grandma. But the harder she dances, the more she feels the distance between her and the matriarch. When an unexpected revelation threatens to fracture the bonds between the Naupaka women, Hi'i must find her way back to her family, heritage, and community.

HULA is a gem of a novel that beautifully intertwines Hawaiian history, cultural richness, and the powerful bonds between family members. Hakes seamlessly weaves historical events and cultural commentary into the story, allowing readers to gain a deeper understanding of the Hawaiian people's struggles, triumphs, and enduring spirit.

The unique choice of a "we" narrator was a stroke of brilliance. This narrative voice provided a refreshing experience, allowing me to connect with the larger Hawaiian community and witness their perseverance & triumphs as a collective unit. It offered a fresh and distinct perspective I hadn't encountered before and worked flawlessly.

Moreover, the generous use of Hawaiian language throughout the book added an extra touch of cultural immersion. It felt like a genuine celebration of Hawaiian heritage & history and further enriched the reading journey. The audiobook provided such a fantastic experience by capturing the essence of the characters and the beauty of the Hawaiian language.

At the heart of HULA is a profound exploration of the want and desire to find family bonds amidst the ever-changing currents of westernization. The journey to preserve the Naupaka family's legacy against the tides of modern influences resonated deeply with me. It reminded me of the importance of honoring our roots and forging connections with our ancestors, especially in a world that often prioritizes progress over heritage. This universal theme of family and cultural preservation was beautifully portrayed, tugging at my heartstrings and leaving a lasting impact.

Another highlight of the novel was the complex relationships between mothers and daughters. Hakes skillfully delved into the intricacies and nuances of these relationships, capturing the inherent tensions, love, and growth that can arise between generations. Through vivid and relatable characters, Hakes expertly showcased the struggles, misunderstandings, and eventual reconciliations that often occur within familial bonds. It added depth and realism to the story, making the characters come alive on the pages.

In conclusion, HULA is an exceptional novel that celebrates Hawaiian heritage & history and explores the unbreakable ties of family bonds.

Thank you to Libro.fm for the gifted ALC. HULA is available now and I hope everyone gives it a try!

In Chinese, the closest expression to "oh my god" is "我的媽呀 (wo de ma ya)," which translates to "oh my mother." Blending personal essays and memoirs, Wang explores her relationship with her mom, Qing Li, through nine adventures from visiting family in China, trying out edibles in Amsterdam, and going on a fashion expedition in Paris.

At the center of the book is Qing, Wang's charismatic & humorous mother. Qing immigrated from China and found herself lost in a different culture and lost to child-rearing responsibilities. While Wang discusses loss and heartache, I particularly adore her writing about her adventures with Qing. Qing's candor is something that shines through OH MY MOTHER and made me miss my mom's bluntness

17-year-old high school senior Anh Nguyen is busy working on a watercolor art series when she experiences her first manic episode. After being diagnosed with bipolar disorder and put on medications, she and her Vietnamese-American family are thrown into the world of mental health treatment and recovery.

I love the focus on destigmatizing mental health in ALOHA VIETNAM, especially in the Asian community. In particular, the inclusion of Anh and her doctor's sessions gives a realistic idea that going to therapy isn't a one-and-done thing, but rather a work-in-progress that both the patient/client and therapist have to put effort in.

While the idea of ALOHA VIETNAM is lovely, I don't particularly love the execution. The alternating POVs between Anh and her mom lack distinctions, and I often have to refer to the chapter title to separate the two voices. The last 30 pages also tried to fit too much and ended up too rushed.

Regardless, ALOHA VIETNAM is a vital work emphasizing the importance of family bonds and community support, especially for those navigating their mental health journey.

Thank you to bookpublicityservices for the gifted copy

After struggling with depression during her senior year in high school, Ocean moves to New York City to attend college. But the pressure to succeed coupled with her loneliness to find belonging caused her to defer a year without telling her mother. Ocean moves in with two roommates, meets a fellow student & graffiti artist Constantine Brave, and slowly finds her way to adulthood.

CARTOGRAPHERS is a beautifully written story on normalizing taking time off to figure out what you want and finding a community that allows you to make mistakes. It covers topics ranging from loneliness, adulthood, friendships, romance, and complex mother-daughter relationships.

I adore the writing of CARTOGRAPHERS but find the idea lackluster. Ocean and Constantine's conversations on free will, justice, and relativity are quite hollow & pretentious that I cringed so hard when listening to the audiobook. I was also hoping for more exploration of how Ocean navigates her mental health struggles through therapy, rather than getting involved with men and "learning lessons through relationships."

CARTOGRAPHERS is an exquisitely written novel that could be enjoyable for some but sadly didn't quite work for me.

In the 1980s on the Jersey Shore, the Wong family is part of a new generation of immigrants trying to stake their claim for the American Dream, even as this dream crumbles. Beneath the promises Atlantic City holds lie her father's gambling addiction, ultimately leading to losing the family restaurant.

MEET ME is a beautifully written memoir/essay that blends Wong's story of growing up as a restaurant baby in New Jersey, finding her way through a fractured family with an absent father, and reflections on the disappearing men in her life.

MEET ME isn't chronologically ordered due to the mixture of personal stories and essays, but that didn't affect my reading experience at all. In fact, I relish the experimental writing style that focuses on different topics in each chapter. Wong covers the predatory nature of the gambling industry targeting Asians, the economic & cultural barriers for immigrants seeking healthcare, dating problematic white men, cultural appropriation of Asian food by white chefs to "elevate" ethnic foods, breaking into a majority white space as an Asian American woman, and so much more.

I particularly love Wong's relationship with her mom, whom she calls "wongmom.com," like a website that gives you helpful life advice with humor & honesty. Wong's writing on their conversations made me miss my mom so much, even when sometimes mom's responses are so brutally honest